The Funniest American Stand-Up Comedy

Louis C.K.: Shameless
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 6.8 | imdb: 8.6
      

This was the first time I saw Louis CK, and it was a great surprise. I had confused him with someone else and had expected not to like him, but I really enjoyed his set. Now don't get me wrong, I was not rolling on the floor laughing—it was more on the level of chuckling, but that was enough for me because the chuckling was triggered by material I found original and stimulating.

In this show (and perhaps others of his shows) Louis doesn't spend time complaining about the government, comparing black people to white people, or cracking jokes about airport security. He talks about ordinary situations, such as standing in traffic, being at home with his family, hating people when visiting the post office or a coffee shop. He also touches on a number of adult themes, but with what to me seem to be new angles compared to the horde of crass comedians out there.

Louis's humor hinges on candid observation, much like Jerry Seinfeld's, but it allows mature language and themes. In fact you could say that he's a Jerry Seinfeld for mature audiences. Much of the pleasure stems from Louis being very candid (and smart) about taboo topics. Like Jerry, Louis has a limited range of voices and facial expressions, but that seems to be enough (although more would probably help convert some of the chuckles into laughs).

I look forward to watching more of his shows.
(Last viewed: January 2013)

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Tom Segura: Completely Normal
      2014 | USA | Laughs: 6.8 | imdb: 7.8
      

After watching Mostly Stories, I was motivated to watch Tom's other sets. This one from two years earlier did not disappoint. I know this may sound weird but for me half the show is in Tom's face, and half of the other half is in his demeanor: it seems to me that he doesn't talk all that much, and what he says isn't always all that funny—but the delivery is always perfect. I'm glad to have added Tom to my collection of to-watch comics and can't wait to see how he evolves. (Last viewed: June 2017)

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Bill Maher: The Decider
      2007 | USA | Laughs: 6.7 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia

Three-and-a-half stars. The title's "decider" is George W. Bush, which should tell you that much of the show dwells on political themes. Much of the material is often circumstantial (what Senator X did), rather than universal (how dogs behave): in five years, you won't remember half the people he mentions. Since I don't closely follow the news, I prefer the more general segments, such as those about pharmaceutical companies and about religion (a pet topic of Maher's, who wrote Religulous). Maher smiles, he doesn't bark, which makes him endearing for someone commenting on such heavy topics. Some may find the show therapeutic: it's good to know that you're not alone. (Last viewed: August 2010)

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Louis C.K.: Chewed Up
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 6.6 (Watch Once) | imdb: 8.6
      

The first twenty minutes felt weak and needlessly vulgar, but the show picked up steam, and I was soon chuckling. Nothing big happened, no big laughter came out, but it was pleasant listening to Louis talk about the hardship of being a parent, and, probably because we are about the same age, about some of the transformations he has been undergoing since reaching forty. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward
      2019 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.2
      

This set was a pleasant surprise. It was the first time I saw Anthony. His brand of humor relies on saying things which are unexpectedly 'offensive' but not overly crass. This brings him closer to Ricky Gervais than to Jim Jefferies. The comparison can be extended in that unlike Jim, at no point does Anthony say anything that makes you laugh by being an unpopular opinion that you also happen to hold.

One distinctive feature of the show is that Anthony spends more time than customary reflecting on his own material, but not with the incisive insight of the master of this meta-comedy genre, Stewart Lee.

The set's pacing is incredibly slow, which means that in an hour you get about twenty minutes' worth of material. On the other hand, that gives you time to enjoy the jokes, so I wasn't complaining. The last quarter of the show was weaker than the rest.

Overall, this was a good experience: I'll be looking for Anthony's earlier material. (Last viewed: May 2019)

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Dave Attell: Comedy Central
      1999 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.5
      

Focuses on embarrassing moments, many of them relating to matters below the belt, but without using profanity. Rather than assaulting the audience, Dave makes fun of himself. He seems to be able to tap into a rich well of material: I will be curious to watch his later shows. (Last viewed: September 2010)

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George Carlin: Carlin at Carnegie
      1982 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 | imdb: 8.1
      wikipedia

In this show George wears a spectacular green outfit, and that's a good thing because in the beginning there is not much else to hold your attention. It was a good fifteen minutes until I cracked a laugh. Before then, the funniest thing was to see members of the audience roaring at jokes that completely flopped in our living room. I should also say that I don't care for the faces Carlin makes (in this show and others) to mock people whom he wants to portray as having a low intellect. Why does he have to cross his eyes? Is strabismus a sign of low IQ? I don't suffer from that condition, but the mime annoys me—I find it to be stupid, mean, gratuitously offensive comedy. This show has other weak bits: one of these interminable sessions where George pretends to read "the news"; and a variation on his classic bit about the words you cannot say on television. It only felt like an hour long. So why the 3.25 stars? I really like the part about fussy eaters. And for me, the segment about dogs (also on George's Best Stuff) may be his best skits ever. It is followed by a few minutes about cats, also George at his best. (Last viewed: March 2011)

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Louis C.K.: Hilarious
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 | imdb: 8.5
      wikipedia

Louis got a divorce since his previous recording (Chewed-Up). Although I'm thrilled for him, I'm sad to lose the funny material about his interaction with his spouse. As the previous one, this show doesn't have a lot of laughter-triggering material, but I didn't mind because I enjoyed listening to Louis's bright mind at work. The first part is probably the funniest. It's also the dirtiest. I really didn't need to hear another twenty minutes of Louis on the general theme of men pleasuring themselves. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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Lewis Black: Black on Brodway
      2004 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 | imdb: 8.1
      wikipedia

Does it take twenty minutes for Lewis Black to warm up, or does it take twenty minutes to warm up to him? To my ears, Black often seems to yell, which I find unpleasant. He is also heavy on expletives that don't really help his material; at least he doesn't dwell on the content of his underpants. The first laugh was a long time in coming, but by the middle of the show, I had started laughing out loud. I like that Lewis draws laughs by placing his compatriots' world view ("America number one") in a wider context. Some countries are good at making fun of themselves, some not as good, and that makes Lewis's efforts all the more valuable. Red, White and Screwed, by the same comedian, sits firmly in the "Don't Bother Watching" category. (Last viewed: January 2012)

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Louis CK: Oh My God
      2013 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 8.4
      wikipedia

Over the years, Louis CK has been feeding his shows from two different taps—the smart tap and the trashy tap. For this special, thankfully, he doesn't have the trashy tap all the way open, which makes it easier to watch than his Beacon Theatre special.

For laughs, the show starts at its peak. Then there is a very long lull. Then the show picks up again and Louis ends strong.

Overall, a very enjoyable hour. (Last viewed: September 2016)

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Tom Segura: Mostly Stories
      2016 | USA | Laughs: 6.5 (Laugh Out Loud) | imdb: 7.6
      

This show, my introduction to Tom Segura, made me laugh some and smile lots. I felt that Tom adds something to what his contemporaries (Bill Burr, Louis CK, Jim Jefferies…) are already doing, and that's not a feeling I get every day.

The material isn't extraordinarily sophisticated, but half the show is watching Tom's face: he is very expressive. He also makes great voices. Overall he comes across as very confident…perhaps too much so, as with confidence comes a slower pace, and some of the bits felt a tad drawn out. For my taste Tom could also have less time below the belt, but we all know that's not going to happen.

I'm looking forward to watching more by this talented stand-up pro. (Last viewed: May 2017)

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Dane Cook: Harmful if Swallowed
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 6.2 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.1
      wikipedia

There's something about a good George Carlin or Eddie Murphy show that makes you think "I wouldn't mind watching that again someday". Dane made me laugh, but I have no desire to see him ever again, probably because his show lacks a certain brilliance. It's comedy for the masses, and indeed it feels like television: a young audience, an aggressive camera style, and a boyish performer who would be right at home on MTV: Dane puts a lot of energy into showing off his toned upper body. Actually, I really like that Dane acts out his jokes; he is very physical, sometimes a bit too much. For some reason, I'd say this is the kind of comedy that would go down well with a hamburger and a coke—foods I haven't touched in years. Perhaps by coincidence, I really enjoyed Dane's bits about working at a Burger King drive-through and about bathroom graffiti. Other good bits: what it would be like if we could spit acid; spelling toys of the 1980s. (Last viewed: September 2010)

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Ron White: They Call Me Tater Salad
      2004 | USA | Laughs: 6.2 (Laugh and Smile) | imdb: 7.6
      

The set got off to a weak start. After a couple of minutes, we feared that we might have picked a jerk for our evening's entertainment, but then it came out that Ron is Texan. "Ah, he's from Texas? It's okay then, if he's from Texas I can forgive just about anything." After all it wasn't so long ago that the country elected a Texan for entertainment—twice. I've had quite a bit of personal experience with Texans, and it has usually been that if you think they're being offensive, well… they can't help it. They just seem to savor that confrontational stance, and you're better off enjoying it too. Having cleared that up, we found quite a lot to enjoy in Ron's set. It was not high-grade, and there were a few trips to the sewer, but there were also a lot of good jokes and fun moments. Of course as a student of Southern accents, listening to Ron's beautiful idioms and intonations was a bonus. And once you spent some time looking as his nice smile, he didn't seem to be a jerk after all. (Last viewed: September 2013)

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Sam Kinison: Breaking the Rules
      1987 | USA | Laughs: 6.1 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.3
      

This show is in the "Watch Once" section with a strong warning: steer clear if you have a low tolerance for adult themes, as Kinison spends most of the set below the belt. It may be funnier if you have had three beers like many of those in the audience. I am not particularly interested in Sam's favorite themes, but he smiles a lot and I do find him attaching. Some of the jokes would be great if he didn't yell all the time… I most enjoyed the segments about marriage and about how lying will enhance your relationships. (Last viewed: September 2010)

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Bill Burr: Paper Tiger
      2019 | USA | Laughs: 6.0 | imdb: 8.2
      

I can't say that much stood out from this set — more material about injustice toward males? I enjoyed it. Those who like Bill should find it pretty decent.

(Last viewed: October 2019)

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